Warren, CT – August 9, 2011 — Shopping for luxurious fashion and home décor has never been more gratifying! ZAANHA’S collection of Silk Road-inspired accessories, handmade by Central Asian master artisans, offers shoppers the highest quality workmanship and materials while providing income for the makers. And, a portion of all proceeds is funneled to The Zaanha Fund. All proceeds of the fund are used to send Afghan children to school.

ZAANHA sells its unique products through home and benefit shows and on its website – www.zaanha.com. Direct sales mean lower prices and the chance to tell people firsthand ZAANHA’s story. Products include a wide range of exclusive and sumptuous cashmere and silk scarves and shawls, sweaters, tunics, handbags, decorative pillows, throws and much more. Prices range from $70 for a handwoven silk scarf from Afghanistan to $450 for a large cashmere throw.

Wendy Summer, (pictured below, center) founder of ZAANHA, recounts how this dynamic and inspiring business came about: “In 2003, having sold my NYC- based marketing company, I started looking for volunteer work in Asia. Through an organization called Bpeace, I traveled to Afghanistan where I met and mentored many Afghan women entrepreneurs, teaching them to run and grow their businesses.”

“I was astonished by the intricate and nearly perfect embroidery I saw Afghan women create and wanted to do something where I could have these women use their skills to produce fine quality products that could provide them with an income. I also wanted these underestimated women to gain confidence knowing the works they so painstakingly created were coveted and bought by women in lands far from Afghanistan.” ZAANHA makes this happen by providing discriminating shoppers with very beautiful products at a fair value. Today, in addition to Afghanistan, ZAANHA works with artisans in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal and India.

Soon after the creation of ZAANHA, Summer established The Zaanha Fund (non-profit status is currently being sought) whose sole purpose is to send Afghan children to school. “How can Afghans become proficient business people and professionals if they can’t read and write?” Summer asks. ZAANHA donates a portion of all proceeds to The Zaanha Fund. The fund also accepts direct donations. All associated administrative costs are borne by ZAANHA, thus insuring that 100% of the monies in the fund are used for schooling needs.

Summer’s believes that education is the critical building block for a child’s harmonious future. “Without it,” she says, “Afghan youth will never be able to build productive and meaningful lives for themselves, their families, communities and future generations of Afghans.”

Contact: Wendy Summer, founder, at 860.868.1976 or zaanha@gmail.com. High-res images are available. For more information about the line, visit www.zaanha.com or connect on Facebook (/zaanha) and Twitter (@zaanha_tweets).